Parents of boy shot by neighbor win civil case

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The parents of a 13-year-old Milwaukee boy who was fatally shot by an elderly neighbor have won a civil judgment against the convicted killer.

A Milwaukee County judge set damages at $1.2 million for Patricia Larry, mother of Darius Simmons, and $300,000 for the boy's father, Darius Simmons Sr.

The Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1uvzZqn ) reports that state caps such damages at $500,000, so the judge apportioned $400,000 to Larry and $100,000 to Simmons.

Larry's attorney, Jonathan Safran, said collecting damages from 77-year-old John Spooner is unlikely, because he's serving life in prison. But, Safran says the judgment ensures that any assets discovered in Spooner's estate will go to the boy's parents.

Spooner suspected the boy had burglarized his home, so he confronted and shot the teen in front of his mother.